Sarah Bratton hosts the Sustainable Investment team as they kick off the New Year with several timely topics including the relevance of ESG factors in managing both trade wars risk and the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) in the global economy. They will also touch on divestment practices and trends among several ‘sin sectors’.

On this All Hallows' Eve edition of Schroders’ Sustainability Quarterly webinar, we look at ESG-indexing, and ESG within the Emerging Markets, both areas that can potentially offer tricks & treats.

The combination of rising demand for index-based investment products and an increasing appetite for strategies based on ESG criteria has led to a sharp increase in ESG-branded products. We highlight a number of reasons why these simple, low-cost solutions may not provide either the financial or sustainability outcomes investors are likely to expect.

EM have tended to exhibit greater volatility than developed markets. Less stringent regulation, rapidly changing demographics and evolving policy environments can add to the uncertainty for EM investors. These
issues are less likely to impact better managed, more sustainably run companies, in our view.

Schroders recently held its Quarterly Fixed Income Investment Forum, and for this webinar David Knutson will give a glimpse into this 3-day discussion by recapping several debates that went on, including the state of the USD, and inflation. He will also offer a research analyst's perspective on another current debate sparked by recent tweets - quarterly reporting.

Emerging market equities remain an attractive area to find growth. While liquidity and FX remain powerful drivers of EM asset prices, for those with a longer-term view, we think the fundamentals are strong and there remains compelling alpha to be had across region, sector, and market cap. So where are we seeing value?

Join Dr Michael O’Brien and Derek Power from Schroders QEP team as they look at the secular changes that are transforming this dynamic and diverse asset class -- and where they see opportunities.

Please join Jessica Ground and the Sustainable Investment team as they dive into the ESG topics currently making waves.

No one wants to vacation on a beach full of plastic. With more regions talking about banning some plastic items, what is the impact for the plastics supply chain, and end users. Meanwhile, as summer temperatures reach record highs, we will revisit our Schroders Climate Progress Dashboard a year on from launch and see how the thermostat is re-calibrating. Finally, as you pack up the car for your big summer trip, is there a residual risk that is not being captured within the auto loan industry, despite banks tighten up their consumer protection rules and processes?

Johanna Kyrklund, Global Head of Multi-Asset Investments, provides a mid-year assessment of the Team’s cyclical & risk scenarios, as well as where they anticipate opportunities arising across the global markets. Topics to be discussed include:

* Are risks in the global economy moving from a reflationary bias to stagflation?
* Mid-term scorecard for the Fed
* Comparing & contrasting European versus US opportunities and risks
* Is it time to re-engage with emerging markets from an asset allocator’s perspective?
* And Q&A

Join Schroder's ESG Team for this new webinar series aimed at bringing you the Team's latest research highlights. This session, we will present the findings from our Global Investor Study related to ESG, including which counties and demographics are most engaged, and what challenges does this create for investors. Next, we will turn to our recent Global ESG engagement activity and run through our recent research on US Corporate Governance trends, with insights into our pre 2017 AGM season engagement topics. Finally, we will discuss our cutting-edge research on the Emerging Markets where we have been doing some focused work engaging on bribery and corruption.

It appeared that the environment for emerging market debt was improving as many developing countries have brought inflation under control, have seen an improvement in their competitiveness and have scope to reduce interest rates. But the election of Donald Trump has raised the spectre of US protectionism and resulted in rising Treasury yields. Alan Cauberghs, Investment Director, explores whether the outlook for emerging market debt has changed materially and if the asset class can still generate attractive returns in the revised political climate

Register for Schroders Live on Wednesday 28 September, with Senior European Economist and Strategist Azad Zangana and Fund Manager Remi Olu-Pitan as they discuss recent macroeconomic challenges in a panel discussion hosted by Bloomberg’s Manus Cranny.

Schroders webconference: Many absolute return bond funds have found it difficult to generate their target level of returns over recent quarters as many bond yields have fallen below zero. Alan Cauberghs, Senior Investment Director for Fixed Income, examines the tools that managers can use to generate positive absolute returns and what market conditions are required to achieve their targets in future.

Special guest host joined on the panel by Schroders’ Group Chief Executive Officer, Economist, UK and European Fund Managers.

Join us for an exclusive episode of Schroders Live to discuss the outcome on the EU Referendum and the potential implications on the UK and European Markets.
We will have a special guest host joined on the panel by Schroders’ European Economist, UK and European Fund Managers.

We may now have reached a watershed in global central bank policy co-ordination. It remains to be seen whether the Federal Reserve will be able to leave interest rates at a level which, while appropriate for the global backdrop, may be increasingly inappropriate for the domestic US economy. In our latest webconference, Alan Cauberghs will explore whether the current uneasy truce between central banks and markets will persist and the implications for fixed income investors.

The conversation about ESG investing is gaining traction across markets. Clients no longer ask 'do you have an ESG strategy?' but rather 'do ESG high scores result in outperformance?' Collaborating with Empirical Research Partners, this webinar will showcase their findings on ESG, what factors show the strongest correlation and how they think asset owners and fund managers should be taking this forward.

Jessica Ground, Global Head of Stewardship, Schroders will be joined by Rochester ‘Rocky’ Cahan, CFA, the U.S. Portfolio Strategist at Empirical Research Partners LLC. Mr Cahan joined the firm in 2013 to focus on a broad spectrum of research topics ranging from bottom-up stock-selection to top-down macroeconomic analysis. In addition to his highly regarded practitioner research, Mr. Cahan has published a number of academic articles in top journals including The Journal of Empirical Finance, The Journal of Banking and Finance, and The Journal of Portfolio Management. Mr. Cahan received a double degree in Mathematical Physics and Finance from Massey University in New Zealand in 2003, and is also a CFA charterholder.

Battersea is an emerging London location, that on the back of significant infrastructure investment, has undergone significant regeneration. James Lass, Fund Manager of the Schroder UK Real Estate Fund, gives a tour of Battersea Studios, an asset that has witnessed strong capital and income growth on the back of this regeneration and active asset management

Paris is the largest, most liquid, and most transparent investment market for real estate investors in Europe. Thomas Guyot, Head of Real Estate Investment France, walks through a 23,000sqm asset located in Paris Rive Gauche. The JV was structured when the project was largely de-risked, and is the best performing asset in the portfolio today.

We have been building relationships with UK pensions clients for over 60 years and offer a comprehensive range of products and services that are appropriate for the requirements of, and designed specifically for, UK pension schemes.